Cocktail Iskandarany

I part: Ya 'am, Ya Saiad
traditional

Ya 'am, ya saiad, sed el samak greiya, greiya
Oh uncle, oh fisherman, fishing is a hobby, hobby
'alimni keif astaad min el bahr bolteya
Teach me how to catch bolteya from the sea
Ya 'am, ya saiad
Oh uncle, oh fisherman
Ya 'am, ya saiad
Oh uncle, oh fisherman
sed el samak greiya
fishing is a hobby, hobby

Wana mashi labeya, labeya wala 'aleya
And I'm walking, not worrying about anything
Wana wana wana wana wana mashi, labeya wala 'aleya
And I, and I, and I, and I, and I'm walking, not worrying about anything
Basit wa laqetak qudami min el subh lahad el 'asreya
I looked and found you in front of me from morning till afternoon
Wana mashi wa rak wa rak mashi, ya wad inta ya zoq
I'm walking after you, after you walking, oh boy, you are so gentle
Ya gibni 'audak, 'audak wana mashi, ya wad inta ya zoq
I like your figure, figure and I'm walking, oh boy, you are so gentle
Wana mashi wa rak wa rak mashi, ya wad inta ya zoq
I'm walking after you, after you walking, oh boy, you are so gentle
Ya gibni 'audak, ya habibi wana mashi, ya wad inta ya zoq
I like your figure, oh darling and I'm walking, oh boy, you are so gentle

Min hobi fik wana mashi wa rak
Because of my love for you I walk after you
Min hobi fik wana mashi wa rak
Because of my love for you I walk after you
min el mansheya lahad el soq
from Mansheya until the market
Zoq el zoq, ya wad inta ya zoq
Gentle, gentle, oh boy, you are gentle
Zoq el zoq, ah ya Outi ya zoq
Gentle, gentle, oh Outi, you are gentle
Bus fi 'aini telaqi el shoq
Look into my eyes, you will find longing
Ya wad inta ay zoq
Oh boy, you are gentle

II part: Ya Amar, Ya Iskandarany
by Mohammed Roshdi

Ya amar, ya Iskandarany, ya Iskandarany
Oh moon, oh Alexandria, oh Alexandria
Nuss omri da' fi lafi 'ala el mawani
Half of my life is wasted going around the ports
Ya amar, ya amar
Oh moon, oh moon

Lafet el donya yama
I toured a lot around the world
Wa'shet el donya yama
I saw a lot of the world
Malaet wahed yuli hamdela 'ala el salama, hamdela 'ala el salama
I didn't find anyone to welcome me, to welcome me

Afrah be Iskandareya wa amar Iskandareya
I'm happy with Alexandria and the moon of Alexandria
Afrah be Iskandareya wa amar Iskandareya
I'm happy with Alexandria and the moon of Alexandria
wa ul fe Iskandareya, ya 'aini wa amarha nadali
and I tell Alexandria, my eye, and her moon called me

Ya amar, ya Iskandarany, ya Iskandarany
Oh moon, oh Alexandria, oh Alexandria
Nuss omri da' fi lafi 'ala el mawani
Half of my life is wasted going around the ports
Ya amar, ya amar
Oh moon, oh moon

I'm very grateful for all my friends, who helped me to translate the lyrics of this song. None of my friends is a professional Arabic-English translator: some of them are fluent in Arabic, some in English and a few - my self included - have some skill in both languages. It's often quite challenging to express both the idea and the literal meaning of the lyrics in a few words, as I consider it most useful to dancers that the translation include both these aspects.